CCC Hickory Primer: Offensive Underclassmen To Know

Last week, the Carolinas Coaches Combine came to Eastern North Carolina, where more than 200 athletes competed in combine testing and drills. On Saturday, the western part of the state gets its turn, as Hickory hosts hundreds of players. Like <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/carolinas-coaches-combine-clayton-primer-offense/">we did last week</a>, we're breaking down players from all three sessions. Here, we're looking at the underclassmen to know in Session 3.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Offensive Underclassmen To Know at CCC- Hickory</h2>   The CCC is unique in that every player was nominated by his head coach. There are three sessions, two for rising seniors and one for the 2028 and 2029 classes. Let's jump right in. Here, I'm looking at the offensive players in the final session.   If you missed our two pieces on the 2027 class, click below:   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/ccc-hickory-offensive-primer/">Offense</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/ccc-hickory-defensive-primer/">Defense</a>   Editor's Note: These primers are based on the latest expected rosters. Final participation rosters will not be finalized until after each session gets underway. Accordingly, a few of these players may, unfortunately, miss the CCC.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Quarterback</h3>   There are a ton of young quarterbacks in attendance, and the main things I want to learn are a general athletic baseline and an idea of early mechanics. It's nothing crazy. I'm not looking for somebody to show themselves to be a perfect prospect, I just want to get a better idea of what we're working with in the next few years.   Along those lines, it's hard not to look at Parkland 2029 passer [player_tooltip player_id='2126984' first='Marsaun' last='Byrd-McCoy']. He's 6'6" with some wheels, so he has a high floor. If he tests well, it's hard not to see him as a true college prospect. He's joined by guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1616122' first='Ja'Braylan' last='Patterson'] and new Mooresville transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1604676' first='Weston' last='Michalak'], who have all the tools to be high-level college quarterbacks.   Then, some guys have the high school numbers, whose future rankings will be determined partially by how well they test. [player_tooltip player_id='1970953' first='Tayvion' last='Williams'] has great efficiency. I just wonder what he can do athletically to set himself apart.   High-upside athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1737718' first='Zeke' last='Wingo'], out of East Rutherford, started at quarterback on the JV team, but his contribution to varsity was as a runner, averaging 15 yards per carry on a dozen touches. I've never seen him throw, but the coaching staff is excited about his potential.   A couple of other names to watch:   [player_tooltip player_id='2141096' first='Holden' last='Shelton'] (North Stokes) [player_tooltip player_id='2079239' first='Camden' last='Stillwell'] (East Gaston) [player_tooltip player_id='2112034' first='Tyler' last='Jackson'] (Southeast Alamance) [player_tooltip player_id='866234' first='Kylen' last='Crisp'] (Williams)   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Running Backs</h3>   As I'm looking at the invites alphabetically by school, the first name that pops is Asheboro's [player_tooltip player_id='1616532' first='Connor' last='Brinton']. An explosive receiver out of the backfield, he's a bit undersized, but runs with great balance.   Franklin's [player_tooltip player_id='1421089' first='Garrett' last='Young'] could thrive at either running back or linebacker, but I think it's noteworthy that the 6'2", 210-pounder is participating Saturday on offense. I'm anxiously awaiting his speed and agility numbers. The way he can run with great pad level and contact balance at his height is impressive. Strong times would solidify his position as an FCS or even borderline FBS prospect.   Grimsley's [player_tooltip player_id='1815393' first='Ty' last='Shoemake'] wasn't the guy you'd think would be the offensive star last year, but the Whirlies are committed to the run, and the first-year varsity player averaged nearly nine yards per carry last season.   Several of our top-ranked underclassmen are on the invite list, including Reagan workhorse [player_tooltip player_id='1616114' first='John' last='Evans Jr.'] and Shelby freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1905611' first='Jonas' last='Woods'], both of whom could end up highly ranked at the end of their respective cycles.   Combine settings are great for stripping away the noise of Friday nights, and there are three other prospects I'm looking forward to learning more about outside of their schemes.   South Point and Southern Alamance both run unique, run-heavy offenses, so seeing [player_tooltip player_id='2065235' first='Kaveaun' last='Pless'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2144167' first='Sincere' last='Thompson'] in a combine setting will give me a better picture of their evaluations. Add in St. Stevens athlete [player_tooltip player_id='2112038' first='Izzy' last='Payne'], who runs a lot of off-tackle and counter out of shotgun, and you've got three guys who could really benefit from a combine setting that let's them unleash.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Wide Receiver</h3>   I like this receiver group a lot.   I'm intrigued by [player_tooltip player_id='2147485' first='Jorian' last='Ussery'] out of Burns. He's not a guy I've seen much of, but he has excellent size and seems to have great speed, too. I'm interested in his testing numbers, as well as seeing his releases.   [player_tooltip player_id='1646712' first='Noah' last='Dulin'] flashed in a couple of late varsity games as a freshman, then backed up his potential last season with a 55-catch, 800-plus yard season for Davie County. He can get down the field in a hurry and make contested catches, but he also showed some nuance in his route-running as a sophomore.   We've seen [player_tooltip player_id='1657753' first='Doc' last='Caldwell'] in a camp setting before, but he continues to get better, something we love to see. I also have high hopes for [player_tooltip player_id='2170655' first='Alex' last='Cooper'] of Grimsley, who was having a great season last season before injury derailed his season.   Lincolnton duo [player_tooltip player_id='1421082' first='RJ' last='Lynch'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1691017' first='Dailen' last='Adams'] are high-upside receivers, even on the smaller side. Lynch's 5-10-5 should be among the best in the group, and he should fly in the 40, too.   A couple of high-upside young guys who haven't yet put up huge numbers on Friday: [player_tooltip player_id='2145139' first='Joseph' last='Gibbs'] (Southeast Alamance) and Ian Lhuiller (South Iredell). I wouldn't be surprised to see either with a huge day.   Finally, I'm excited to see how versatile athletes [player_tooltip player_id='2112028' first='Jay' last='Taylor'] (West Stokes) and [player_tooltip player_id='870445' first='Christian' last='Booth'] (Williams) perform as pure receivers. We'll get another chance to see Taylor at our <a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/2214/register/exposure-series-north-carolina">Prep Redzone Exposure Camp</a> early next month, as well.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Offensive Line</h3>   If everybody makes it in, this could be the top offensive position group on Saturday.   Concord's [player_tooltip player_id='1616131' first='Andrew' last='Lane'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2168270' first='Trejon' last='Davis'] are two newer names to our database, but we like what we've seen from them both.   [player_tooltip player_id='1815332' first='Landon' last='Suttle'], set to compete at our Prep Redzone Exposure Camp, comes from a unique offense, especially on the offensive line, but the mauling left tackle is a plus athlete who could thrive in this setting. Shelby's [player_tooltip player_id='1687745' first='Tee' last='Hollifield'] is getting Power Four looks, and for good reason. he's pound-for-pound one of the best linemen in the state.   One of our top 2029 offensive line, Reagan's [player_tooltip player_id='1134891' first='Davin' last='Phipps'], is slated to be in attendance, as well. I'm intrigued by his blend of power and movement skills. We've seen more of East Rutherford's [player_tooltip player_id='1706348' first='Pacey' last='Collins']' defensive film than on offense, so I'm curious what he looks like on the offensive line.   Finally, I missed Tim Stokes (Eastern Alamance) and Imarion Brown (Western Alamance) when I broke down the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/03/top-5-ol-in-alamance-chatham-lee-county/">best Alamance County offensive linemen</a>. I'm excited to see what I missed.   It's camp season, and we're coming to Charlotte on May 1 for our PRZ Exposure Camp under the lights on a Friday night. <a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/2214/register/exposure-series-north-carolina">Secure your spot</a> and use promo code WillHelms10 at checkout for $10 off. Think we missed someone? DM me on Twitter/X (<a href="https://x.com/whelms21">@whelms21</a>) with film.

Last week, the Carolinas Coaches Combine came to Eastern North Carolina, where more than 200 athletes competed in combine testing and drills. On Saturday, the western part of the state gets its turn, as Hickory hosts hundreds of players. Like we did last week, we're breaking down players from all three sessions. Here, we're looking at the underclassmen to know in Session 3.